My House in Umbria

Critics Consensus

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My House in Umbria Photos

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Movie Info

Richard Loncraine's adaptation of William Trevor's My House in Umbria stars Maggie Smith as novelist Emily Delahunty. After a bomb explodes on a train car carrying Delahunty, she persuades three of her fellow survivors to recover at her estate. The threesome includes the General (Ronnie Barker), Aimee (Emmy Clarke), and a German man named Werner (Benno Fürmann). The four begin acting like a family, which pleases Delahunty greatly. Conflict arises when Aimee's uncle Thomas (Chris Cooper) comes to collect his niece. My House in Umbria was made for HBO and screened at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Rating:

PG-13
Genre:

Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Television
Directed By:

Richard Loncraine
Written By:

Hugh Whitemore
In Theaters:

Jan 1, 2002 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Nov 28, 2003
Runtime:

109 minutes
Studio:

HBO Films

Cast

Maggie Smith
as Emily Delahunty

Ron Barker
as The General

Ronnie Barker
as The General

Emmy Clarke
as Aimee

Chris Cooper
as Thomas Riversmith

Bernard Furmann
as Werner

Benno Fürmann
as Werner

Giancarlo Giannini
as Insp. Girotti

Timothy Spall
as Quinty

Libero De Rienzo
as Dr. Innocenti

Cecilia Dazzi
as Rosa Crevelli

Anna Longhi
as Signora Bardini

Deirdre Harrison
as Phyllis

Silvia De Santis
as Madeleine

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Critic Reviews for My House in Umbria

All Critics (6) | Top Critics (2) | DVD (1)

It is, of course, a tribute to Dame Maggie that we end up rooting for Emily's version of the world rather than our own, and that we would rather live in Italy.

Jan 29, 2018 | Full Review…

John Leonard
New York Magazine/Vulture
Top Critic
The scenery in this film is lush, the acting strong. But the material wanders and falters.

May 19, 2003

Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic
My House in Umbria is not sexy, not cutting edge; it does not "push the envelope." It tells a simple story about love and hope, sadness and loneliness. In the current coarse pop culture climate, that makes "Umbria" the riskiest type of film of all.

May 3, 2019 | Full Review…

Rob Owen
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A story about guilt, love and happy endings, My House in Umbria is a delightful and uplifting encounter.

Feb 18, 2005 | Full Review…

Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Thin and uninvolving ... [but] the performances are good in a muted sort of way.

Oct 12, 2003 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

View All Critic Reviews (6)

Audience Reviews for My House in Umbria

Jun 20, 2009

Something about this film was just a tad off for this viewer. Maggie Smith as Mrs. Delahunty is faultless, but the story was maybe a little too pat, the treatment a little too sugary, the ending a little too deus ex machina. One expects a little more from a film produced by HBO. This seemed more suited to Hallmark. Beautiful cinematography, solid pacing, a decent cast, but still something was missing to make this truly enjoyable. I liked it, I just didn't love it.

Mark A Super Reviewer
Jun 12, 2009

pretty run of the mill tv movie where maggie smith rules the roost with her acting skills

Sanity Assassin ! Super Reviewer
Aug 10, 2007

A surprising and interesting story of strangers coming together.

Sunil J Super Reviewer
Aug 09, 2007

So, I didn't realize this was an HBO movie when I rented it. Chris Cooper is hella annoying in this. Well, his character was annoying, so job well done I guess. The opening scene is awesome, the always watchable Maggie Smith + cool imagery = a winner. But, to me, things got less interesting as it went along. Ultimately, it feels too thin, and not worth the trip. This isn't bad, exactly; but you can pass.

Joey N Super Reviewer